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Episode 2

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Venus Xtravaganza discusses her hopes and dreams for the future.

In the second episode, Venus Xtravaganza and Octavia, two drag queens, explain what they want their futures to look like and the normal live they hope to live in comparison to the fabulous and unreal world of the balls. 

The episode cuts between scenes of the two women, both of whom are comfortably laying now in their own homes. This creates a graphic match that draws the clips together and allows the scene to flow. Aside from just aiding in continuity, this graphic match helps bring together the women emotionally too. This, coupled with their explanations of the dream lives they wish they could live, brings the audience into the film on a more personal level. Even further, as what they are saying grows more emotional, the shots grow closer and closer to the women, drawing the audience even further into their lives.

This is all combined with the comfortability that is seen in front of the camera. Both Venus and Octavia act as if they are talking to an old friend, and not just a camera. These deeply personal moments are what help the audience to realize that ball performers are just people with dreams of families and stardom just like anyone else.

Finally, the lack of asynchronous sound throughout the seen allows the audience to focus on the words of the performers and to focus on the pauses that create the emotional dynamic in the scene. This allows the film to hone in on what both Venus and Octavia are saying, creating a sense that they’re really having a conversation with you, the viewer.